Illusion of the Mind
by Jibril's Avatar
Summary: She flirted with him, like all the other girls. So why was she the only one to merit his attention? Cracktastic pairing - NejixIno
1. Chapter 1

_**Illusion of the Mind**_

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**Disclaimer and A.N.** I've always wanted to attempt a cracktastic pairing. It's going to be a short one – three or four chapters at the most. And I don't own Naruto.

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All the girls in Konoha seem to be in love with him.

The majority of them have no chance. Hyuuga Neji dismisses his fangirls with a finesse achieved through years of being brought up in a clan based upon ancient notions of subordination and courtesy.

He refuses those who shyly ask for a date, but they leave feeling attractive and worthy of any other male _except _for him, whom they secretly think deserved only perfection.

The silly ones who giggle and approach with a group for moral support are dealt with more impatiently; he would rather do something worthy of his time - such as training. Of course, this only serves to add to his reputation as a skilled and dedicated shinobi.

Those who dare mention how he, and not Uzumaki Naruto had deserved to win their fight during the Chuunin exams leave feeling oddly tearful, more from the hard expression in his pale eyes than the polite verbal refusal.

The kunoichi of the Rookies however, feel that they have a better chance.

As his teammate, Tenten tries not to let her gaze linger for too long, nor to praise him too extensively, lest he believe she was like _all those irritating females,_ and refuse to train with her for long extended sessions. She knows that every word of praise from him is sincere, and she secretly thinks of them as new weapons to add to her arsenal. She is one of the few privileged enough to see his rare smiles.

Sakura somehow manages to be the medic in charge of his healing and recuperation whenever he is injured. Another medic (a mere _trainee_) got to him first once, and Sakura almost has heart failure when Neji coolly states that he would only trust Haruno Sakura to deal competently with his _Byakugan_. Of course, she pretends that she never heard a thing.

Even Hinata looks at her cousin with a respect and awe that borders on a slight crush (of his _abilities_ only of course). Even though she uses _Byakugan_ and observes him from a distance, he is able to detect her presence, and spends the whole afternoon teaching her to spy on private activities without being caught (including by him). He is impressed at how quickly she masters the ability.

Ino bats her eyelashes at him, shamelessly teasing him about both Tenten and Sakura. Her outrageous flirting and verbal barbs are usually enough to make a rock flare up in self-defense (or in heat), but when he responds only with his traditional aloofness, she smiles and walks away.

At least he _responds_, she thinks to herself. Sakura has more of a chance this time. And god, if she could make it happen, she would. Her friend deserves that much, after all the anguish she has been through. Ino still shudders when she thinks of how their friendship was torn apart when they were younger, all over a boy who was too self-absorbed and intent upon his revenge to value anything or anyone else around him.

She is surprised therefore, to feel Neji's eyes boring into her back when she saunters away one day, following a cheeky jibe about Sakura's 'treatments' in the hospital. Unable to stop herself, she turns to him and casually lifts an eyebrow. She sees the flicker of surprise in his normally impassive eyes, which are surrounded by the veins indicating use of the _Byakugan_.

"I specialize in genjutsu and reconnaissance", she informs him, mildly amused. Her family are the master spies of Konoha. She has been trained from an early age to detect all forms of attention centred on herself (vital when one needs to escape), and to analyse the most fleeting of emotions and feelings.

"Not unlike your skills, eh Hyuuga?" she asks lightly, remembering the fateful fight between the young genius and Hyuuga Hinata in the preliminary fights all those years ago.

He scoffs, but Ino doesn't miss the flash of interest in his pale eyes.

"Your ability take too much time and effort", he declares, undoubtedly referring to her (1)_ shintenshin_ jutsu. "If your enemy moves faster than you, you would be dead before you have a chance to think. That makes you a liability. The weakest link of your team".

He doesn't realize that he has touched a nerve, because hasn't Shikamaru constantly warned her about that very vulnerability? Either way, the next thing Neji knows is that he doesn't know what the hell happened. One minute he's sitting in front of her, and the next, he's traversed at least ten metres to a lake, and is standing on the water. Her withdrawal from his mind unsteadies his balance and chakra however, and he splashes ungracefully down into the icy depths.

Ino's delighted laughter rings in his ears all night.

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A.N. I know Neji/Ino is a weird pairing, so please review! 

(1) _Shintenshin_ is Ino's mind-transfer jutsu. For more detail, refer to


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. **Thanks to all those who reviewed!

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Chapter 2

The next day, Neji marches to the Yamanaka residence, and requests an audience with the daughter of the house regarding training sessions. Inoshi's suspicious glare feels like fire slowly eating into his brain, and Neji activates_ Byakugan_ instinctively. It is only then that he detects the large amount of chakra surrounding 'Inoshi', and Ino drops the genjutsu with an appreciative grin.

"Not bad, Hyuuga. Maybe I'll deign to train with - _ouch_". Ino's fingers fly to her neck, and she stares at the tiny sliver of blood with some incredulity. In front of her, Neji slides the tiny senbon back into his weapons pouch with a satisfied air.

Dammit, she hadn't even seen him _move!_

She pouts prettily at him, pleased to notice how his forehead creases in annoyance at the girlish gesture.

"I'll see you in the clearing tomorrow afternoon then, Neji _kun_".

In the next few months, Hyuuga Neji realizes for the first time since his father died, what true helplessness means.

Ino's aim is to improve his mental reflexes – to force her out of his mind when she takes over with _shintenshin_, as Sakura had done during their fight. She has no qualms whatsoever about placing him into awkward situations – Neji comes to himself in the middle of stealing Naruto's bowls of ramen (resulting in a yelling match and a wrecked restaurant), kowtowing to a startled fish vendor, singing a baby to sleep, and 'welcoming' the Kazekage (who immediately recognizes the signs of mental possession, and emits a short bark of laughter before waving away the apologies of the outraged dignitaries).

"You realize if it was anyone but Gaara, a third shinobi war would likely have started by now", Neji mutters when he comes to.

"You were only batting your eyelashes at him", Ino responds, still shaking with laughter. "I was tempted to twirl your hair around and have you grin too, but there were to many people watching".

Neji is not amused at her light-heartedness. "Word is getting back to Hiashi-sama", he informs her grimly, mouth set in a stern line. "The Hyuuga clan can not afford to be made a laughingstock".

"If I were an enemy, I could have done worse" Ino retorts. Neji may no longer perceive her as an empty-headed man obsessed female, but the frequent condescension in his tone irritates her. She knows he is often described as 'cold' or 'distant', but privately, she thinks that he simply believes that he is better than most people around him, including her. She has her little moments of revenge however. Neji hates coquettish, posturing women and being the natural flirt that she is, getting a rise of out him is that much more entertaining.

He raises a sardonic eyebrow. "True".

Sauntering away, Ino flips her hair and blows him a kiss. He scowls and turns his back on her.

"Hey", Sakura whispers one day, pulling Ino into a side street. "Do me a favour and find out what his favourite food is", she says eagerly. "I'll surprise him in the hospital one day".

Ino shakes her head in mock disgust, idly comparing her friend's sea green eyes to the Hyuuga's pale ones. _Green and grey look good together_, she thinks vaguely to herself. Colors of the sea, both of them.

However, "All he ever talks about is training and techniques. I'm going to die of boredom", she whispers back.

Ino is surprised however, that she actually can, _and_ enjoys keeping the young genius on his toes. Defeating genjutsu has clearly not been a usual part of his daily training, and unless she is deliberately trying to needle him, he accepts her teasing and laughter with good grace. More surprising is the fact that he seemed to be enjoying the training too, requesting longer sessions and often varying their routine. His ability to tolerate her mental attacks, and to learn from each experience also impress her. _Shintenshin_ is not a skill many people are willing to subject themselves to constantly.

In due time, although he still cannot shield himself fully from her invasions, her attacks are not lasting as long before she is banished from his mind.

For her part, Neji's remarks about her vulnerability are proven scarily accurate. She has never seen anyone move as fast as he can, and when she misses his mind completely and comes back to herself, she often finds herself with mild bruises where her _tenketsu_ have been hit, tied to a tree, or on one memorable occasion, dropped into a lake. When she comes up spitting water and curses, he doesn't bother masking his amusement, which infuriates and pleases her all at once. Who the hell had known the man could _smile?_

Their training took a turn for the serious one day, when she targets him with _shintenshin_, only to have him dive sideways in a blur of movement. When she comes to, her favourite articles of clothing (the net bands she wears around her knees – a gift from Shikamaru and Chouji), have been strung from a tree. When she stalks upwards to retrieve them, a torrent of shuriken fly from the neighbouring tree.

"You're a born pervert after all, Hyuuga", she drawls, pouting in his direction. She hisses with pain when she moves her arm, which a shuriken had grazed. "I bet you felt me up while you were removing those". She nods at the bands, and shakes a finger at him.

"If I was an enemy, I could have done worse", he replies calmly. To her shock, he runs his eyes up and down her body. It is the first time he has deliberately tried to goad her using her own tricks, and she throws his shuriken back indignantly.

_Does this mean he did?_ she wonders later, as she climbs down the tree and picks up her equipment. She is promptly disturbed by the fact that she is not disturbed. If anything...

_Don't go there, Ino_, she tells herself sternly, mentally conjuring up an image of Sakura's eager face. She banishes the thought from her mind.

Her physical reflexes, and ability to aim _shintenshin_ while moving fast improves.

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**A.N. **A bit of a transition chapter, hope it wasn't too boring. Keep those reviews coming, and I'll keep the chapters coming! And for all the Asians, Happy New Year! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Why don't you just choose one of them to save you all the trouble"? Ino asks one day, when Neji appears late to their training, after being harassed by a fangirl and her overeager mother.

"Why don't _you_"? he returned, referring to the large number of men who had recently asked her out on a date.

She grins. "It's fun to keep them dangling".

He raises an eyebrow. "Dangling? I do believe Inuzuka Kiba had Akamaru tailing you yesterday. His tail did droop a little when he realized you'd stepped onto the lake to avoid him…"

Ino half laughs and half groans at this, appreciating the humour that often precedes a harsh training session. In the month or two since he removed her leg bands, Neji has become more willing to spar with her verbally, as well as physically - it is a step up from the days he would simply frown and brush off her taunts. Having proved surprisingly adept at playing her game, their bantering offers her mental stimulation she is unaccustomed to, compared to the fawning, bragging boys who constantly vie for her attention. With a little more time, she realizes with some surprise, Ino believes the young Hyuuga will become a trusted friend, as well as an adept training partner.

Then "Hey, you haven't answered my question", she grumbles.

"Why do you wish to know"? When Ino glances at him, he is watching her directly, the smallest of smiles playing around his mouth.

_Hmmph_, she thinks. It is no accident that every time she's lost one of their little battle of wits, it has been through being rendered speechless by an unexpected smile or laugh from the young man she'd previously believed to be humourless. He is becoming a little too confident for his own good.

"_Perhaps"_, she retorts, "It's because you're touchy and your vocabulary is reduced to 'hn' and 'huh' whenever it happens. _Perhaps_ it's because it feels like I'm training with a brick wall, only it has the ability to move".

"They annoy you". This time, Neji's voice is matter of fact, no inflections whatsoever. Confused at the bland reply, Ino decides it really is time to return the ball to her own court.

She rises from her sitting position, deliberately standing in his face. "I _think_…" she teasingly traces a finger down his chest, remembering the glare of withering contempt he had sent her last time she touched him in such a familiar manner, " that _you_ believe that no one is good enough for you".

"Do I", he murmurs, watching her hand make its way down his body. His passive acceptance of her flirtatious gesture confirms her guess that he knows her game too well, and that she may soon need to find another strategy to keep things interesting.

"What were you and Tenten talking about yesterday"? he asks suddenly. His voice remains casual, but Ino is caught off guard by the abrupt change of topic.

"Ah - yesterday"? she stammered, taking her hand off his chest. Neji just 'hmms'.

"Nothing much…", Ino begins, thinking furiously about the conversation with Neji's brunette teammate, when their paths had accidentally crossed the previous day while Ino was returning from training.

"_I haven't seen him so enthusiastic about anything for a long time"_. She remembers the brunette woman saying about their sessions. Her smile is filled with genuine warmth, but Ino doesn't miss the slight wistfulness in the other girl's eyes. _"You're good for him, Ino-san"_.

"_I'm not going to tell him _that – _god only knows what conclusion he would come to_"Ino thinks to herself, stifling unexpected curiosity at how he _would_ react. She is slightly flummoxed as to why Neji wishes to know in the first place. Is he worried that Tenten will see her as a rival training partner, and warn her off? But surely she hasn't been training _that _often with him? Ino pastes a smile on her face so Neji will not see her uneasiness. The smile becomes genuine however, when she suddenly devises a way to punish him for flustering her earlier at the same time.

"Well alright – we were talking about you", she says, laughing to herself when Neji's eyebrows lift noticeably at her candid admission. "And" – She makes a show of tapping her lips with her fingernails to prolong the moment.

"And the smoothness of your hair". She bursts into peals of merriment at his incredulous expression. Satisfied with her comeback, she commences training.

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Walking home that evening, she is pounced on by Sakura. "_That_", her roseate friend announces, "was a rather long training session don't you think, pig"? Her jade eyes fix themselves onto Ino's cerulean ones, wide with inquiry.

Ino snorts. "What, you were watching"?

Sakura just responds by lifting an eyebrow. Another thing she seems to have in common with Neji, Ino thinks, somewhat puzzled to find that she is not as amused as she used to be.

"So…hmm…?" Ino waits, but when her friend doesn't say anything else, she sighs.

"You need to _do_something if you're going to have any luck, forehead girl", she said, forcing a note of joviality into her voice. "But", she bends forward conspiratorially, and Sakura follow suit. "His favourite food is ebi prawn", she whispers. Something she has learned from the packed lunches Neji frequently brings to their training.

"_Neji", _she thinks guiltily over Sakura's squeals of delight. _"He would hate this"_. She supposes her information could technically be seen as matchmaking, and she knows that he will _not_ appreciate it, after the minor debacles he endures from his fangirls and co. And she seems to finally be winning some respect and acknowledgment from him too…

But honestly, Ino thinks with some exasperation as she parts ways with Sakura. _How_ does one explain the concentration _shintenshin_ requires? And how to explain that the majority of their 'rather long' training sessions are mostly made up of idle moments, while one or both of them recover from its effects?

She flirts with Neji as much as she does with any other male, she tells herself firmly. And she _does_ enjoy spending time with him – she cannot deny that if she didn't, she will not have spent the last few months with him as she has. Being coy or shy is not in her nature – that is how she is always able to silence the gossipers with withering scorn, and an arrogant toss of her pretty head.

She is not blind or deaf to the rumors and whispers concerning herself and the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. Even from the start, she has realized that there will be speculation about their 'training', and that there may come a time when she _will_ need to discuss the matter with Neji, if only to minimize misunderstandings or damage to their relationship in the future.

"_And just what kind of 'relationship'_ do_ you share"?_ Ino can nearly hear Tenten and Sakura's voices in her head. Add that to Shikamaru's subtle probing and the pointed inquiries from her father…

It will have to be soon, she realizes. All she will have to do, is to wait for the perfect chance.

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**A.N. **Wow, I was overwhelmed with the support I got for that last chapter, it's such an inspiration. Please keep those reviews coming! I think it's pretty obvious where the fic is going, but hopefully I'll manage to wangle in some twists and surprises somewhere... 


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